Phil Manning (musician)
Encyclopedia
Philip John "Phil" Manning (born 1948) is an Australian blues singer-songwriter and guitarist. Manning has been a member of various groups including Chain
and has had a solo career. As a member of Chain, Manning co-wrote their January 1971 single "Black and Blue", which became their only top 20 hit. The related album, Toward the Blues followed in September and peaked in the top 10 albums chart.
in 1948. He has a brother Dennis Manning who is also a musician. Phil Manning's early bands were Anonymous Incorporated and Cocaine Spell – he was in the latter with guitarist, Charlie Watts, and the pianist, John A. Bird. Manning moved to Melbourne by 1966 and, late that year, joined The Blue Jays with Bird on keyboards, Vince Maloney
(ex-Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs
) on guitar, Manning on guitar and Tony Worsley (Tony Worsley & the Fabulous Blue Jays) on vocals. Bay City Union were an electric blues band, which had formed in Brisbane and relocated to Melbourne in December 1966. Manning had joined on vocals and guitar, and played alongside Glenn Wheatley
on guitar and Matt Taylor
on vocals and harmonica. Manning left by 1968 to join Laurie Allen Revue (see Bobby & Laurie
).
) and in December the group were in Melbourne and recruited Wendy Saddington
(ex-James Taylor Move) on vocals. They changed their name to The Chain and later to Chain
to provide electric blues-rock. Chain have had numerous line-up changes and hiatuses, their most famous line-up are Manning and Taylor with Barry Harvey on drums and Barry Sullivan on bass guitar (both ex-Thursday's Children, Wild Cherries
).
Chain's January 1971 single, "Black and Blue" reached the top 20 on the Australian Kent Music Report
Singles Chart. Manning co-wrote the song with fellow members Harvey, Sullivan and Taylor. They had a second top 40 hit with "Judgement" issued in July. Also in July, teen newspaper, Go-Set
published its annual popularity poll and Manning was voted at No. 3 for 'Best Guitarist'. The related Chain album, Toward the Blues followed in September and peaked in the top 10 on the Albums Chart. Manning has returned to Chain periodically for performances and further recordings, while contemporaneously maintaining his solo career.
, in September and pop artist, Elton John
, in October. He briefly returned to Chain from November for three months before joining Leo deCastro's Friends. In April 1972, Manning formed Willy & the Philtones which was renamed Band of Talabene in July with Tony Buettel on drums, Phil Gaunt on bass guitar and Tony Naylor on guitar. In December he joined Mighty Mouse which at various times included Harvey, Sullivan, Ian Clyne on keyboards, and Mal Capewell on sax and flute. By February 1973, Mighty Mouse was renamed as Chain (their 15th line-up) and Manning left by July 1974.
In December 1974, Manning released his debut solo album, I Wish There Was a Way, on Mushroom Records
and Festival Records. Australian music historian, Ian McFarlane, described the album as in a "mellow, reflective singer/songwriter mode". The album spawned two singles, "Love Is the Mender" in December and "I Wish There Was a Way" in March 1975. In May, he formed the Phil Manning Band with Greg Cook on guitar and synthesiser (ex-Cam-Pact, Mándu Band), Bruce Devenish on drums and Eddie McDonald on bass guitar (ex-Bakery). They recorded the pop single "Train to Ride" which was issued in October. However in September the line-up had changed to Steve Cooney on guitar, Tony Doyle on drums and Paul Wheeler on bass guitar (ex-Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, MacKenzie Theory). The group disbanded in March 1977 and Manning joined John Paul Young
's backing band the Allstars for three months.
In July 1977 he formed Manning Keays Band with Jim Keays
on vocals (ex-The Masters Apprentices
) and Peter Cuddily on bass guitar (ex-Space Waltz), John Grant on keyboards (ex-Freeway), Andrew Kay on violin and keyboards, and Robert Ross on drums. When Keays left later in the year, the soul pop group was renamed as Manning and released a self-titled album in May 1978. Manning provided the singles "When a Man Loves a Woman
" (a Percy Sledge
cover) in December 1977 and "Call Me" in April 1978. In July a new line-up of Phil Manning Band was Cuddily, Grant, John J Hackett on drums (ex-Rum Jungle) and Midge Marsden on guitar. His brother, Dennis, briefly joined on keyboards and in May 1979 they issued the single, "Just the Way It Goes". Dennis had left, Robbie Geapon replaced Cuddily on bass guitar and Bob Bickerton (ex- Mándu Band) replaced Hackett on drums to record an album, Live on Polydor Records
, for New Zealand release only, in 1979.
The Matt Taylor Phil Manning Band was formed in Perth in late 1980 with his former Chain band mate. The group included Roy Daniel on bass guitar and Ric Whittle on drums and recorded an album, Oz Blues and a single "Spring Hill" both issued in June 1981. This group disbanded by December and a new line-up of Phil Manning Band was formed with Chris Copping
on keyboards (ex-Procol Harum
), Kerryn Tolhurst
on guitar (ex-The Dingoes
), and Wayne Duncan on bass guitar and Gary Young
on drums (both ex-Daddy Cool
). Copping was replaced by Mick O'Connor on keyboards. By 1983, with only Duncan and Young remaining, they became the Phil Manning Trio. In December he reformed Chain with Taylor and remained in the group until 1986.
Manning relocated to Queensland and recorded an acoustic
solo album, It's the Blues, which was issued in early 1988 on his own label, Tamborine Music. In 1990, he followed with a cassette
-only album, Live at the Storey Bridge. Manning's material for the two albums included originals together with cover versions of Blind Blake
, Big Bill Broonzy
, Robert Johnson
, Muddy Waters
and Paul Simon
. Three more albums followed in the 1990s, Can't Stop (November 1992), The Back Shed (March 1995) and Two Roads (August 1997). Take Note was issued in 2000 and Migrants Dance in 2003. A compilation album, The Essential Acoustic Collection was released in 2006 and Checkmate Move followed in 2010.
Manning
Phil Manning Band
Matt Taylor Phil Manning Band
Manning
Matt Taylor Phil Manning Band
Chain (band)
Chain are an Australian blues band formed in Melbourne as The Chain in late 1968 with a lineup including guitarist, vocalist Phil Manning; they are sometimes known as Matt Taylor's Chain after lead singer-songwriter and harmonica player, Matt Taylor...
and has had a solo career. As a member of Chain, Manning co-wrote their January 1971 single "Black and Blue", which became their only top 20 hit. The related album, Toward the Blues followed in September and peaked in the top 10 albums chart.
Early years
Philip John Manning was born in Devonport, TasmaniaDevonport, Tasmania
-Sport:The Devonport Football Club is an Australian Rules team competing in the Tasmanian Statewide League. The Devonport Rugby Club is a Rugby Union team competing in the Tasmanian Rugby Union Statewide League...
in 1948. He has a brother Dennis Manning who is also a musician. Phil Manning's early bands were Anonymous Incorporated and Cocaine Spell – he was in the latter with guitarist, Charlie Watts, and the pianist, John A. Bird. Manning moved to Melbourne by 1966 and, late that year, joined The Blue Jays with Bird on keyboards, Vince Maloney
Vince Melouney
Vince Melouney was a founding member of Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs, playing with the band as lead guitarist from 1963 to 1965, which was followed by a short-lived duo with fellow Aztec Tony Barber, called Vince & Tony's Two.In 1967, after moving to the UK, he was invited to join the Bee Gees...
(ex-Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs
Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs
Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs were an Australian pop and rock group dating from the mid-sixties. The group enjoyed huge success in the mid-1960s, but split in 1967. They re-emerged in the early seventies to become one of the most popular Australian hard-rock bands of the period...
) on guitar, Manning on guitar and Tony Worsley (Tony Worsley & the Fabulous Blue Jays) on vocals. Bay City Union were an electric blues band, which had formed in Brisbane and relocated to Melbourne in December 1966. Manning had joined on vocals and guitar, and played alongside Glenn Wheatley
Glenn Wheatley
Glenn Dawson Wheatley is an Australian artist manager and entertainment industry executive.Wheatley began his career as a musician in Brisbane in the mid-1960s and in the late 1960s became nationally famous as a member of leading pop-rock band The Masters Apprentices...
on guitar and Matt Taylor
Matt Taylor (musician)
Matt Taylor is an Australian blues musician. He is best known for his work with long-lasting blues band Chain and for the hit song "I Remember When I Was Young".-Biography:...
on vocals and harmonica. Manning left by 1968 to join Laurie Allen Revue (see Bobby & Laurie
Bobby & Laurie
Bobby & Laurie were a popular Australian singing duo of the 1960s, featuring Laurie Allen and Bobby Bright . Their regular backing band were The Rondells...
).
Chain
Late in 1968, Manning joined The Beaten Tracks (originally from PerthPerth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
) and in December the group were in Melbourne and recruited Wendy Saddington
Wendy Saddington
Wendy June Saddington is an Australian blues / soul / jazz singer and was in the bands Chain, Copperwine and the Wendy Saddington Band. She wrote for teen pop newspaper Go-Set from September 1969 – September 1970 as an agony aunt in her weekly "Takes Care of Business" column and as a...
(ex-James Taylor Move) on vocals. They changed their name to The Chain and later to Chain
Chain (band)
Chain are an Australian blues band formed in Melbourne as The Chain in late 1968 with a lineup including guitarist, vocalist Phil Manning; they are sometimes known as Matt Taylor's Chain after lead singer-songwriter and harmonica player, Matt Taylor...
to provide electric blues-rock. Chain have had numerous line-up changes and hiatuses, their most famous line-up are Manning and Taylor with Barry Harvey on drums and Barry Sullivan on bass guitar (both ex-Thursday's Children, Wild Cherries
Wild Cherries
The Wild Cherries was an Australian rock group, which started in late 1964 playing R&B and became "the most relentlessly experimental psychedelic band on the Melbourne discotheque / dance scene" according to commentator, Glenn A...
).
Chain's January 1971 single, "Black and Blue" reached the top 20 on the Australian Kent Music Report
Kent Music Report
The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998...
Singles Chart. Manning co-wrote the song with fellow members Harvey, Sullivan and Taylor. They had a second top 40 hit with "Judgement" issued in July. Also in July, teen newspaper, Go-Set
Go-Set
Go-Set was the first Australian pop music newspaper, published weekly from 2 February 1966 to 24 August 1974, and was founded in Melbourne by Phillip Frazer, Peter Raphael and Tony Schauble...
published its annual popularity poll and Manning was voted at No. 3 for 'Best Guitarist'. The related Chain album, Toward the Blues followed in September and peaked in the top 10 on the Albums Chart. Manning has returned to Chain periodically for performances and further recordings, while contemporaneously maintaining his solo career.
Other bands and solo work
Manning left Chain in July 1971 to work with Warren Morgan (ex-Chain, Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs) on keyboards in a band called Pilgrimage. They issued a single, "Walk in the Light" in November and supported United Kingdom progressive rock group, Pink FloydPink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
, in September and pop artist, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, in October. He briefly returned to Chain from November for three months before joining Leo deCastro's Friends. In April 1972, Manning formed Willy & the Philtones which was renamed Band of Talabene in July with Tony Buettel on drums, Phil Gaunt on bass guitar and Tony Naylor on guitar. In December he joined Mighty Mouse which at various times included Harvey, Sullivan, Ian Clyne on keyboards, and Mal Capewell on sax and flute. By February 1973, Mighty Mouse was renamed as Chain (their 15th line-up) and Manning left by July 1974.
In December 1974, Manning released his debut solo album, I Wish There Was a Way, on Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records is an Australian recoJrd company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in Melbourne in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records. From 2005 to 2009, it is one of the record labels operated by Warner Bros...
and Festival Records. Australian music historian, Ian McFarlane, described the album as in a "mellow, reflective singer/songwriter mode". The album spawned two singles, "Love Is the Mender" in December and "I Wish There Was a Way" in March 1975. In May, he formed the Phil Manning Band with Greg Cook on guitar and synthesiser (ex-Cam-Pact, Mándu Band), Bruce Devenish on drums and Eddie McDonald on bass guitar (ex-Bakery). They recorded the pop single "Train to Ride" which was issued in October. However in September the line-up had changed to Steve Cooney on guitar, Tony Doyle on drums and Paul Wheeler on bass guitar (ex-Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, MacKenzie Theory). The group disbanded in March 1977 and Manning joined John Paul Young
John Paul Young
John Paul Young is an Australian pop singer who had a 1978 worldwide hit with "Love Is in the Air"...
's backing band the Allstars for three months.
In July 1977 he formed Manning Keays Band with Jim Keays
Jim Keays
James "Jim" Keays is an Australian musician who fronted rock band The Masters Apprentices as singer-songwriter, guitarist and harmonica-player during 1965–1972, and subsequently had a solo career including leading Jim Keays' Southern Cross...
on vocals (ex-The Masters Apprentices
The Masters Apprentices
The Masters Apprentices were an Australian rock band fronted by mainstay Jim Keays on lead vocals, which formed in 1965 in Adelaide, South Australia, relocated to Melbourne in February 1967 and attempted to break into the United Kingdom market from 1970, before disbanding in 1972...
) and Peter Cuddily on bass guitar (ex-Space Waltz), John Grant on keyboards (ex-Freeway), Andrew Kay on violin and keyboards, and Robert Ross on drums. When Keays left later in the year, the soul pop group was renamed as Manning and released a self-titled album in May 1978. Manning provided the singles "When a Man Loves a Woman
When a Man Loves a Woman (song)
"When a Man Loves a Woman" is a song recorded by Percy Sledge in 1966 at Norala Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama. It made number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B singles charts. It was listed 54th in the List of Rolling Stone magazine's 500 greatest songs of all time...
" (a Percy Sledge
Percy Sledge
Percy Sledge is an American R&B and soul performer who recorded the hit "When a Man Loves a Woman" in 1966.-Early career:...
cover) in December 1977 and "Call Me" in April 1978. In July a new line-up of Phil Manning Band was Cuddily, Grant, John J Hackett on drums (ex-Rum Jungle) and Midge Marsden on guitar. His brother, Dennis, briefly joined on keyboards and in May 1979 they issued the single, "Just the Way It Goes". Dennis had left, Robbie Geapon replaced Cuddily on bass guitar and Bob Bickerton (ex- Mándu Band) replaced Hackett on drums to record an album, Live on Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
, for New Zealand release only, in 1979.
The Matt Taylor Phil Manning Band was formed in Perth in late 1980 with his former Chain band mate. The group included Roy Daniel on bass guitar and Ric Whittle on drums and recorded an album, Oz Blues and a single "Spring Hill" both issued in June 1981. This group disbanded by December and a new line-up of Phil Manning Band was formed with Chris Copping
Chris Copping
Chris Copping is a musician and singer-songwriter who was a member of Procol Harum in the 1970s, and has also composed for TV and film. He predominantly plays organ, piano and bass guitar....
on keyboards (ex-Procol Harum
Procol Harum
Procol Harum are a British rock band, formed in 1967, which contributed to the development of progressive rock, and by extension, symphonic rock. Their best-known recording is their 1967 single "A Whiter Shade of Pale"...
), Kerryn Tolhurst
Kerryn Tolhurst
Kerryn Tolhurst is a noted Australian musician and songwriter who was based in the USA in the late 1970s and 1980s.His musical career began in Melbourne with the Adderly Smith Blues Band. He subsequently joined Sundown, led by Keith Glass, which was one of Australia's first country-rock groups...
on guitar (ex-The Dingoes
The Dingoes
The Dingoes are an Australian country rock band initially active from 1973 to 1979, formed in Melbourne they relocated to the United States from 1976. Most stable line-up was John Bois on bass guitar, John Lee on drums, Broderick Smith on vocals and harmonica, Chris Stockley on guitar and Kerryn...
), and Wayne Duncan on bass guitar and Gary Young
Gary Young (Australian musician)
Gary Young was a founding member of Australian rock band Daddy Cool in which he played the drums and sang backing vocals. He also played drums with Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons amongst other bands...
on drums (both ex-Daddy Cool
Daddy Cool (band)
Daddy Cool is an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne in 1970 with the original line-up of Wayne Duncan , Ross Hannaford , Ross Wilson and Gary Young . Their debut single "Eagle Rock" was released in May 1971 and stayed at number 1 on the Australian singles chart for ten weeks...
). Copping was replaced by Mick O'Connor on keyboards. By 1983, with only Duncan and Young remaining, they became the Phil Manning Trio. In December he reformed Chain with Taylor and remained in the group until 1986.
Manning relocated to Queensland and recorded an acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
solo album, It's the Blues, which was issued in early 1988 on his own label, Tamborine Music. In 1990, he followed with a cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
-only album, Live at the Storey Bridge. Manning's material for the two albums included originals together with cover versions of Blind Blake
Blind Blake
"Blind" Blake was an American blues and ragtime singer and guitarist.-Biography:...
, Big Bill Broonzy
Big Bill Broonzy
Big Bill Broonzy was a prolific American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist. His career began in the 1920s when he played country blues to mostly black audiences. Through the ‘30s and ‘40s he successfully navigated a transition in style to a more urban blues sound popular with white audiences...
, Robert Johnson
Robert Johnson
Robert Leroy Johnson was an American blues singer and musician. His landmark recordings from 1936–37 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that have influenced later generations of musicians. Johnson's shadowy, poorly documented life and death at age 27 have given...
, Muddy Waters
Muddy Waters
McKinley Morganfield , known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician, generally considered the "father of modern Chicago blues"...
and Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
. Three more albums followed in the 1990s, Can't Stop (November 1992), The Back Shed (March 1995) and Two Roads (August 1997). Take Note was issued in 2000 and Migrants Dance in 2003. A compilation album, The Essential Acoustic Collection was released in 2006 and Checkmate Move followed in 2010.
Albums
Solo- I Wish There Was a Way (Mushroom/Festival, December 1974)
- It's Blues (Tamborine, early 1988)
- Live at the Storey Bridge (Tamborine, 1990)
- Can't Stop (Tamborine, November 1992)
- The Back Shed (Tamborine, March 1995)
- Two Roads (Tamborine/Blackmarket, 1997)
- Take Note (Tamborine, 2000)
- Migrants Dance (Blackmarket, 2003)
- The Essential Acoustic Collection (compilation album, Tamborine Music, 2006)
- Checkmate Move (Tamborine Music/Blackmarket, 2010)
Manning
- Manning (Indigo, May 1978)
Phil Manning Band
- Live (as Phil Manning Band featuring Midge Marsden, NZ only, Polydor, 1979)
Matt Taylor Phil Manning Band
- Oz Blues (Full Moon/Astor, June 1981)
Singles
Solo- "Love Is the Mender" (1974)
- "I Wish There Was a Way" (1975)
Manning
- "When a Man Loves a WomanWhen a Man Loves a Woman (song)"When a Man Loves a Woman" is a song recorded by Percy Sledge in 1966 at Norala Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama. It made number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B singles charts. It was listed 54th in the List of Rolling Stone magazine's 500 greatest songs of all time...
" (1977) - "Call Me" (1978)
Matt Taylor Phil Manning Band
- "Spring Hill" (1981)